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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FILING-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13', 1906.

Application filed December 21, 1905. Serial No- 292,705.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUMPHREY FALVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkville, Long Island, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Filing-Cases, of which the following is a specification, such as willenable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to files or filing-cases for use in filing papers or documents of various kinds and classes; and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which is simple in construction and opera tion and which may be used for any of the purposes for which such devices are usually employed and which is also preferably ada ted for use as a card-index or a card-in ex file; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a device of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

This invention is an improvement on that described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 807 ,067, granted to me on the 12th of December, 1905, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalvertical section of a file device made according to my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a vertical and longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the practice of my invention as shown in the drawings I provide a rectangular oblong box a, comprising a bottom portion (1 having low side walls a and end walls (1 having inwardly-directed side members or wings a and one of the end members is provided, in the form of construction shown and at the top thereof, with a hook a, by which the file case or device may be suspended from a suitable support; but the shape and construction of the box or case a in itself is not an essential feature of my improvement.

At each side of the box or case a and ranging longitudinally thereof are horizontal and parallel hollow bars or members I), which are preferably flattened and elliptical in vertical section and which are provided in their inner faces with longitudinal slots or openings 6 and in the bottom of these bars or members I) are placed rack-bars b and arranged transversely of the box or case a, with its ends projecting into the bars or members I) through the slots or openings 6 is a shaft 6, provided at its opposite ends with gear-wheels c ,which operate on the rack-bars b and placed bethe bars or members and the shaft 0 passes 1 through the opposite side walls thereof, and said shaft is provided within one of said side walls, as shown at c in Fig. 2, with a ratchet.

Pivoted ate in the partition d and above the shaft 0 in the form of construction shown is a crank-lever f, one arm of which extends upwardly through the slotf in the top of one of the partition-walls d and the other arm of which ranges transversely of the said partition between the front and back walls thereof and is rovided at its end with a spring-pawl f which is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet c Secured centrally of the shaft 0, as shown at 9 is a spring 9, the opposite end portions of which are wound around said shaft in opposite directions, and the ends of said opposite end portions extend and bear against one of the walls of the partition d, as shown at 9 and by turning the partition on the shaft 0 the tension of the spring g or the separate side members thereof may be increased or decreased, as will be readily understood.

The normal position of the partition dis at one end of the box or case a, as indicated in dotted lines at y in Fig. 1, and in filing documents, papers, or cards of any kind or class the partition d is drawn in the direction indicated by the arrow as, and in this operation the wheels 0 turn on the rack-bars b and the spring 9 or the separate parts thereof are wound upon the shaft 0, and-the said partition being released it moves backwardly automatically in the direction of the arrow 00 this movement being the result of the operation of the spring g or the separate parts thereof. It will be understood, of course, that the apers or other documents or articles to be 'led are placed in the end portion a of the box or case a, and the partition (Z normally presses thereon and holds the same in proper position at all times.

It will be apparent from this construction that the partition (1 may be moved backwardly in the direction of the arrow as in either position of the lever f, as when the lever is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 the spring-fingerf thereof permits the backward rotation of the ratchet 0 but prevents the forward rotation thereof, and the partition (I is therefore held in this position of the lever f against forward movement in the direction of the arrow 00 but if the lever be in its alternative position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 all that is necessary when the desired position of the partition (Z has been reached is to move the said lever f to the position shown in full lines, at which time the partition (1 is locked against movement, and this locking of the said partition permits easy examination of any documents which may be in the file-case.

After examination and previous to the return of the file-case to the cabinet or previous to its being placed away the lever f is moved to its alternative position, (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) at which time the coilspring 9 forces the partition (1 forwardly against the documents, holding the same tightly, evenly, and in approximately vertical positions.

Although I have shown but a single spring on the shaft 0, it will be apparent that two separate springs may be employed for the same purpose and any suitable kind of springs to accomplish the desired object may be employed, and while I have described a box of particular form having the side bars or members slotted longitudinally of their inner faces it will be apparent that other forms of boxes or cases may be substituted for that herein described, the essential features of this invention, as distinguished from that described and claimed in the patent hereinbefore referred to, being in the means for loclring the partition 01 against movement longitudinally of the box or case a.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A file of the class described, comprising a box or case having side guides, a shaft mounted transversely of the box or case and movable longitudinally thereof in said guides, a partition connected with said shaft, a spring wound on said shaft and adapted to automatically move said partition longitudinally of said box or case in one direction, and means for locking the partition to the shaft, consisting of a ratchet-wheel connected with said shaft and a spring-pawl lever pivoted to the partition and operating in connection with said ratchet wheel, substantially as shown and described.

2. A file of the class described, comprising a case having side guides, a shaft mounted transversely of the case and movable longitudinally thereof in said guides, said guides being provided with rack-bars and said shaft with gears which operate in connection therewith, a partition connected with said shaft, a spring wound on said shaft and adapted to automatically move said partition longitudinally of said box or case in one direction, a ratchet-wheel connected with said shaft within said partition and. a spring-lever pivoted in the partition and operating in con- 'nection with said ratchet-wheel to lock the partition to the shaft, substantially as shown and described.

In. testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in. presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of December, 1905.

HUMPHREY FALVEY.

Witnesses:

C. J. KLEIN, F. A. STEWART. 

